MMA (kinda) in 1974

From http://karate-in-english-lewis-wall.../tommy-lees-world-series-of-martial-arts.html

"Background :

The first PKA World Championships have already taken place in Los Angeles and the professional American karate is disappearing. At this time, the mixed fights between various sports are not practiced in tournaments.

Tommy Lee :

Tommy Lee, of Asian origin, is known in Honolulu/Hawaii, as a famous surfer and a surf hardware trader. He associated with a producer named Marty Mains (Mardy Mains, possibly a lady).

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Tommy Lee, Benny Urquidez, ?, Everett Eddy
​

Rules :

They decided to create a "no-rules" tournament. It seems impossible. Various masters came to Hawaii, to decide rules. The blows are accounted with a points system. The takedowns are accepted, as immobilizations. The win can also come by the way of the ko.

Fighters will be protected with Safe-T, or Jhoon Rhee protections, and all areas intended for delivering blows or strikes must be padded (for example : elbows). It is forbidden to hit some parts of the body .

The fighters may come from various sports.

1st Serie : November 14th and 15th, 1974. Honolulu/Hawaii

This first round has no weight division. A total of USD 10,000 .-- is to divide between the fighters, the last winner won USD 5,000 .-

At the end of the first day, 16 finalists are designated, according to their results :

Blinky Rodriguez beats Dennis Lyttle, video http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=DvB5xnKF1t0.
Smiley Urquidez loses against Burnis White.

Dana Goodson beats :
Jack Atkins by ko in the 1st round
Blink Ordelies on points
Blinky Rodriguez on points, http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=xTCRxRcBh48.

Benny Urquidez beats:
Futi Semana, ko in the 2nd
Tom Mossman, in the 2nd
Burnis White by ko in the 2nd
Billy Rosehill by kot in the 3rd. This fight was not the semi-finals, as mentioned in Oriental Martial Arts magazine.
Rosehill practiced Taekwondo (as Judo and Ju-Jitsu) and it is his single combat in WSMAC. This tournament was advertised in Hawaii and he simply enrolled. Thanks to him for information.

In the finals, Benny Urquidez, natural lightweight, beats Dana Goodson on points. Goodson measures 6'1'' and weighs 230 lbs. Urquidez has managed to send his opponent to the canvas and to pin him for 5 seconds. His superior physical condition has enabled Urquidez to dominate his opponent, video http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=yblJ9VqHW8w. Thanks to Shawn for his marvelous videos.

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Finals: Benny Urquidez, left, vs Dana Goodson.
​

This serie is a financial fiasco.

According to the Urquidez record, from his book "King of the Ring", it is possible that there was a fight in Hawaii, for the WSMAC, in December 1974. Benny Urquidez beats Burnis White, by ko in the 4th ?

2nd Serie : May 16th, 1975. Los Angeles Sports Arena

Since this series, weight divisions appear. 7,000 spectators are present.

For the lightweights, Benny Urquidez beats Roland Talton, by ko in the 2nd. Talton is chairman of the BKF (Black Karate Federation, created after a non-deserved defeat of Steve Sanders, alias Sijo, against Joe Lewis, in traditional Karate). Roland Talton had already won by ko against Bill Owens in 1974 at a full-contac tournamentt named The Black Dragon Martial Arts Show. During this same tournament, Talton lost against Sammy Pace, on points.
Bill Henderson (Kung Fu) def on points Manny Charusarn, a Thai kick-boxer. Manny Charusarn has already beaten Steve Fischer on points at the Black Dragon Martial Arts Show in 1974. Charusarn beats Manuel Urquidez in the finals of this tournament.
In the finals of the WSMAC, Urquidez beats Bill Henderson by standing tko in the 2nd round. Video of the fight : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUyyvUF6VUk

In the heavyweights, Everett "Monster Man" Eddy beats Sam Pace (also BKF), with a hard ko in the 2nd round, with a series of kicks and punches. Sammy Pace had already beaten Choo Choo Mayes and Roland Talton at the Black Dragon Martial Arts Show in 1974, a full-contact tournament. Dana Goodson beats Ken Bell, by ko in the 3rd.
In the finals, Everett Eddy beats Dana Goodson. Video of the fight : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba9AgpwW-8c Thanks to David Leonardo for his details.

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Everett "Monsterman" Eddy (left) vs Dana Goodson​

3rd Serie : June 21st, 1975. Honolulu/Hawaii, H.I.C. Arena

Only 12 fighters are selected for this series. Each division winner receive USD 3,000 .--.

In the lightweights, Benny Urquidez beats Sanun Plypoolsup, a Thai kick-boxer, by tko, who was allegedly the 2nd in the Asian Games. Benny receives kicks in the legs, but his opponent loses, following an face injury.

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Benny Urquidez (right), in a rare position, pinning Plypoolsup
​

Burnis White (taekwondo) def Cecil Peoples, on points. In the finals, Urquidez beats White by tko in the 2nd. White had injured his foot.

Farrell Sojot loses against Augie Evans, in the 2nd round. Reggie Padilla beats Duke Domen, by ko in the 1st round.

In the heavyweights, Victor Rapoza, practicing Kenpo of Hawaii and starting in full-contact, beats Chris Michael, by tko.

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Victor Rapoza (right) against Chris Michael ​

Everett Eddy beats on points Duke Sabedong, an old boxer with 17 victories (12 by ko), 16 losses, (4 by ko) and 2 draws. From Hawaii, Sabedong is already 45 years old. He lost on points in ten rounds, in 1961, against the young Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay at this time). His career has been stopped in 1964.

In the finals, Victor Rapoza beats Eddy, by ko in the 2nd. The latter had already been beaten by ko, on June 8th, 1975, against a boxer named Horst Geisler, during a mixed fight.

4th Serie : July 27th, 1975. Honolulu/Hawaii, HIC Arena

There are 4 weight divisions.

The Thai kick-boxer Buthsombat wins his first match, against Jang Hee Pak. Mike Rodriguez beats Steve Murakami, via disqualification. In the finals, Buthsombat beats Rodriguez.

In the middleweights, Land is disqualified and Sam Pace is qualified, as Burnis White, who has beaten on points Keoni May, a Wado Ryu and Muay Thai practitioner. Keoni May has taken part in three WSMAC and has also fought in his career a total of three times against Burnis White. In 1974, Keoni May has beaten a Win Chu practitioner from Hong Kong, by ko in the 2nd round. Keoni May has also beaten Mike Frazier. He is now an Aikido teacher. Thanks to Keoni May for information. In the WSMAC finals, White beats Sam Pace, by ko.

In the light-heavyweights, Augie Evans wins his first fight and Jeff Smith (PKA full-contact World Champion since 1974) def Ben Wilbor, by tko in the 2nd. In the finals, Smith beats Evans, by tko.

In the heavyweights, Teddy Limoz beats Ken Bell , by tko in the first round.

Joe Lewis (PKA full-contact World Champion since 1974) def Ron Clay, by ko in the 1st round. Link to the video of the fight : http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=fszI5BJQQKk
In the finals, Ted Limoz beats Joe Lewis, on points. These struggles are detailed in the article devoted to Joe Lewis, in this blog, .

It should be noted that the fighters were wearing protective elbows and therefore had the right to use these body parts to hit their opponent. It does not seem that the projections and immobilizations have been used during the fight. On the video, we note that Ron Clay employs the knee blows.
Dana Goodson is a practitioner of Kempo Karate. He practises also boxing (4 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat from 1978 to 1983), Thai-boxing and Full-contact. He loses against Maurice Smith, in a title fight.

Everett "Monsterman" Eddy is a leading figure of the U.S. karate and full-contact. He will lose against Scott Ross for the title and against Antonio Inoki, in a mixed fight. Cecil Peoples is also a famous fighter of this period."








VIDEOS:


Final, 1974



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Others from 1974



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:hi:

Sorry, I've been out for a bit due to internet trouble. Not too much going on on my side of the fence (not necessarily a bad thing, I suppose); how's the forum been in my absence?